Record Applications to UC Davis Include Gains in Diversity

A tour guide points out one of UC Davis' iconic Eggheads in front of the UC Davis Library. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis photo)

UC Davis attracted a record high of 70,904 applicants for freshman study in fall 2017, a 3.5 percent increase over the previous fall, and made gains in diversity and accessibility measures among California residents.

Among California residents, that number grew by 4.2 percent while decreasing 1.2 percent among out-of-state students. The number of applications among international students increased 2.8 percent.

A total of 72.4 percent of applicants are California residents; that percentage of state residents historically increases when offers of admission are made and students enroll in the fall. This fall, 78.1 percent of new freshmen were California residents. In fact, among UC campuses, Davis continues to enroll the highest number of California resident undergraduates.

Historically underserved groups

Applications from historically underserved groups — African American, American Indian and Chicano/Latino — increased slightly, and they now represent 35.9 percent of California resident applicants.

American Indian applications increased by 2.2 percent to 280 and represent 2.2 percent of state applicants.

Chicano/Latino applications increased by 7.5 percent to 15,388 and represent 29.9 percent of state applicants.

Ebony Lewis, executive director of Undergraduate Admissions, said the campus's targeted recruitment and retention initiatives for historically underserved students have contributed to the growth in applications.

Income, first-generation graduates

Measures of accessibility remained steady or increased slightly. Among California freshmen applicants:

More than four in 10 would be in the first generation of their family to earn a four-year college degree.

More than three in 10 are from families with low incomes.

More than one in five are from low-resource high schools.

Admission offers to be made in March

Admission notifications will be released for freshman applicants in mid-March. The UC deadline for transfer applications has been extended to Jan. 3.

In fall 2016, UC Davis enrolled 5,764 new freshmen and 3,632 new transfer students for an entering class of 9,396. Total enrollment for new and continuing undergraduates, and graduate and professional students was 37,395.